3.4 million people die each year from water related disease. But the even

bigger problem? Most of them don’t know their water is unsafe to drink in the

first place.

That’s why the charity WATERisLIFE, working alongside scientists and

engineers at Carnegie Mellon University, set out to invent a solution that

solves both of these problems.

The Drinkable Book is the first ever the first ever tool that teaches safe water

habits AND is printed on technologically advanced filter paper, capable of

killing deadly waterborne diseases.

The technology has gone through both lab and field testing and is currently ready for public release.

The intent of the Drinkable Book is to be able to teach people safe water habits while also providing them with a solution to actually clean their water. And at the end of the day, the real hero of the product is the innovation behind the paper.

To create it, Water is Life partnered with scientists and engineers at Carnegie Mellon University. We soon discovered that soaking blotting paper a silver nanoparticle formula resulted in a new type of water filter. It basically works like a scientific coffee filter that’s capable of killing deadly waterborne diseases, such as hepatitis, cholera and E. coli.

After the initial discovery and lab testing, the new filters were brought to South Africa to test in the field. There, we confirmed that it kills 99.99% of the deadly bacteria that is filtered through it. And that each 4x4 inch sheet can provide someone with one-month worth of clean water to someone in need.

After creating the paper, the next most important aspect of the book was the design. It’s all about functionality and beauty. Each page is perforated, making it easy to tear out the filters. The ink we used to print is food grade, making it 100% safe for consumption. And the biodegradable, 3d printed box that the book comes in is also a water basin and drain, allowing gravity to naturally push the contaminated water through each filter.

But the most amazing part of The Drinkable Book is that these filters open up a brand new revenue stream for WATERisLIFE and have the potential to revolutionize water purification as a whole. Each filter cost just pennies to make and are extremely sustainable. One book alone will provide in the developing world with clean water for up to four years.

The results of this project have to be viewed on the global impact of the paper water filters that this book is made up of. Our expectation is that this new paper water filter will revolutionize water purification as we know it. They open up a new business model for WATERisLIFE and place the charity among innovators in their category. So far, 1,000 books have been sent to the developing world. Which equates to 4,000 years worth of clean water to those in need.